CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

Committee Meeting Minutes - Final

Economic Opportunity Council

6:00 PM

Thursday, January 9, 2025

1470 Civic Court, Suite 200, Room 207,

Concord | Zoom:

https://cccounty-us.zoom.us/j/82552125332?

pwd=bkxieNSsrbVlArRgWsBFzfNGP5BoJ3.1 |

call in: 8882780254 code: 812185

Agenda Items: Items may be taken out of order based on the business of the day and preference of the

Committee

Roll Call and Introductions

Chair Medlen called the meeting to order at 6:03 pm.

Staff Present: Roshunda Ward, Melissa Molina, and Michael Morris

Karanbir Bal, Clearnise Bullard, Patricia Campbell, Jessica

Present

Cisneros, Ajit Kaushal, Janelle Lafrades, Nicola Lopez, Desire

Medlen, LaTonia Peoples-Stokes, Devlyn Sewell, Kanwar Singh,

Victor Tiglao, and Renee Zeimer

Karen Coleman, Buffie Lafayette, and Monisha Merchant

Absent

Public comment on any item under the jurisdiction of the Committee and not on this agenda

(speakers may be limited to two minutes).

Monisha Merchant was on Zoom as a member of the public.

APPROVE the EOC Business Meeting Minutes of 12-12-24

EOC Business Meeting Minutes of 12-12-24 - DRAFT

25-37

Attachments:

A motion was made by Lopez, seconded by Lafrades, to approve the Consent Agenda.

The motion carried by the following vote: unanimous.

Motion:

Lopez

Second:

Lafrades

Aye:

Bal, Bullard, Campbell, Cisneros, Kaushal, Lafrades, Lopez,

Medlen, Peoples-Stokes, Sewell, Singh, Tiglao, and Zeimer

Absent:

Result:

Coleman, Lafayette, and Merchant

Passed

RECEIVE the November 2024 Fiscal Report for Grant 24F-3007 including

amendments.

25-38

CSBG Nov 2024 Fiscal Report for 24F-3007

Attachments:

Morris presented the budget updates for Grant 24F-3007.

This Discussion Item was received.

PRESENT and DISCUSS Shared Humanity Indicators to Achieve the

Community Action Vision.

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ACAV-Toolkit- Shared Humanity Indicators

Shared Humanity Indicators Word Cloud

Attachments:

Zeimer asked the methodology of the Shared Humanity Indicators, to which Medlen answered that

it’s a way to prioritize what could be a more restricted funding options in the near future through

our own individual perspectives on each word.

Commissioners agreed to move forward with the ranking of the Shared Humanity Indicator words

to create a word cloud.

Commissioners read the summaries for each word and anonymously and individually ranked the

words. The result of the overall ranking was: 1) Equity, 2) Opportunity, 3) Belonging, 4) Hope, 5)

Dignity, 6) Liberation.

HEAR reports from Onsite Monitoring Visits to date.

Singh shared his experience at Opportunity Junction and talked about the different programs they provide,

such as technology classes

Zeimer asked Singh what the Opportunity Junction’s greatest need was, to which Singh answered that he

would provide more funding for their healthcare program

Lopez shared her experience with hiring former Opportunity Junction interns

Medlen shared that her aunt’s employer Dow Chemical has also hired Opporunity Junction, and Molina

added that CSBG has as well

Zeimer mentioned that OJ has a post-employment support that is crucial

Cisneros shared her experience at St. Vincent de Paul, talked about their workforce development programs,

and highlighted their shelter for mothers and children, and mentioned that their area of most need is their

bandwidth

Ward added that St. Vincent de Paul helps people with histories of drug addiction rehabilitate back into the

workforce

Lopez asked about the eligibility of St. Vincent de Paul’s programs, to which Molina, Ward, and Cisneros

answered that they are open to anyone who walks in

Staff Reports : CalCAPA Advocacy Day

CalCAPA Advocacy Day is on April 2nd and 3rd.

10 people are attending, including staff.

Ward walked the EOC through the contents of the 2025 Homeless Outreach Backpacks, which includes a

solar power bank charger that was shared at a Walnut Creek forum on homeless as a major need.

Zeimer thanked staff for their coordinating with regional organizations to find the greatest need items among

homeless population.

Cisneros asked when staff is giving away the backpacks, to which Ward answered that staff brings four

backpacks to each onsite visit.

Chair Report

No report this month.

EOC Members Reports

Zeimer shared that on January 10th and January 20th 6-8pm Know Your Rights training sessions with Contra

Costa Immigrants Alliance, January 14th at 9am Board of Supervisors that Scales Preston will be inaugurated

as the first African American woman elected to the Board of Supervisors

Ward mentioned that she, Ajit, Zeimer attended her informal community inauguration

Kaushal mentioned that we should recognize the wildfires in Southern California and added that maybe the

county can help them

10.

Next Steps

None.

11.

Meeting Evaluation

Good and productive.

The next meeting is currently scheduled for February 13 2025 at 6pm.

12.

Adjourn

The meeting was adjourned at 7:05 pm.

The Committee will provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities planning

to attend the Committee meetings. Contact the staff person listed below at least 72 hours

before the meeting. Any disclosable public records related to an open session item on a regular

meeting agenda and distributed by the County to a majority of members of the Committee less

than 96 hours prior to that meeting are available for public inspection at 1470 Civic Court,

Suite 200, Concord, during normal business hours. Staff reports related to items on the agenda

are also accessible online at www.contracosta.ca.gov. If the Zoom connection malfunctions for

any reason, the meeting may be paused while a fix is attempted. If the connection is not

reestablished, the committee will continue the meeting in person without remote access. Public

comment may be submitted via electronic mail on agenda items at least one full work day prior

to the published meeting time.

For Additional Information Contact: Christina Castle-Barber 925-608-8819